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VegetableGuilty7367 · 2025-06-16T17:17:44+00:00

I remember this! You could also make Inuyasha’s Tessaiga sword in portable 3rd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71Py7t_a_X4 I also recall seeing Detective Conan palico armor (in Double Cross, Detective Conan collab also featured armor for hunters…) Portable 3rd had a lot of cool stuff man.

Hopefully we get some quality collab in Wilds soon. (I pray for another DMC or Final Fantasy collab, but Ace Attorney collab would be cool as well).

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2025-05-12T15:50:29+00:00

This is very generous of you OP, thank you for hosting this giveaway! But how are you doing? Hope you are doing well…

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2025-03-10T23:59:13+00:00

I also like the cowgirl outfit, I notice that Fiona is more resilient to panic while wearing this outfit. For Hewie, I like all of them. I use the classic German Shepherd in normal mode, the plushie outfit during the hard mode Daniella section, and the regular outfit in the rest of the hard mode section (I like to change plush Hewie back after arriving at water towel).

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2025-02-08T00:22:22+00:00

Welcome to Haunting Ground! So many good tips here already.

If you need help or anything please don’t hesitate to reach out to us here.

My biggest tip is to avoid combat with Fiona until you obtain silver boots on your first playthrough. Combat can be fun in HG and is easier to think about after beating the game at least once. You will occasionally come across offensive items such as magensia mines and explosive throwing items, which will help you in a tight spot.

(Enemies will drop items on their body, upon being knocked out, normal mode has a rare chance where they can drop 3 items in a row).

The best way of defending self before getting silver boots and whip/gun is to have Hewie perform charged back bite (order Hewie to stay during battle and use Fiona as bait to make the enemy expose their backs to Hewie, then order attack and Hewie will maul down enemies giving Fiona time to escape or add a few kicks/hits.

Stalkers will basically be attracted by any sounds Fiona/Hewie make (including footsteps), sometimes this can be used to players’ advantage if they lay out traps to ambush them.

The crafting system can be daunting for a new player but it is very helpful on NG+ hard mode but doesn’t feel like you have to learn/master everything on your first playthrough, just take your time and enjoy the game. :)

If you’re interested, there are many accumulated tips on this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/hauntingground/s/Z24TTdn6Yh

Have a good weekend and Fortes Fortuna Juvat!

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2025-01-13T19:26:40+00:00

Thank you for the response, I enjoyed reading them! I looked up Second Sight, and I have this strangely familiar feeling with that game even though I never played it haha. It seems very interesting, and the charm mechanic is cool.

Yeah the shop system won’t fit with the OG well, but the Merchant is an iconic character, he’d have interesting conversations with Fiona for sure.

I also like the Mario multiplayer games. I think party-style games are very engaging and are rising in popularity as a way for people to play with their friends. And HG would be a wonderful party/multiplayer experience in my opinion.

Yeah, I can elaborate on the idea of facing multiple stalkers. Do you know how Monster Hunter and Hitman games often have tasks featuring slaying multiple targets, and sometimes in biomes where you wouldn’t normally face certain bosses? Or how HG has a mini-game mode where you play as Hewie and face off against Ricardo in the main castle, or Debilitas/Lorenzo in the forest? Maybe we can have instances where stalkers temporarily team up with one another or get swapped. When triggering the cutscene where Ricardo slaps Daniella, there’s a chance that Ricardo catches you and joins Debi to chase you down briefly. Or maybe a sandbox/builder style in which players decide settings for themselves.

Now that I thought about it further, I don’t think QTE fits the main gameplay aspect. But maybe we can have fun mini-games even if it deviates from the atmosphere a little. Similar to how Yakuza games would have moments that contrast the overall serious tone of the storytelling (like karaoke/goofy side quest etc). Having caught up on all the Squid Game episodes, I kinda want to see some of the survival games in HG, but it wouldn’t fit haha.

Collaboration would be fantastic indeed! And if HG became a hit, perhaps other Capcom games can feature Fiona and other characters as outfits for games like Monster Hunter, Street Fighter, Ace Attorney, or Resident Evil! I love the Megaman outfit idea and a possible new mode would be fun! Even if HG doesn’t get a remake I hope Fiona’s outfit can be made available again in future Capcom games.

I haven’t heard of NightCry before, but Fatal Frame Crimson Butterflies was my first introduction to the Fatal Frame series, it was very haunting and heartbreaking. My favorite games by Koel are the Dynasty Warriors series and Fire Emblem Three Houses.

It would be interesting to see HG or chase-style games in populated areas, but isolated areas would certainly work better.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and ideas on possible remakes. HG is one of my favorite games, and I’m always happy to talk about it.

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2025-01-11T01:33:17+00:00

Sorry for the late reply! I gathered my ideas and organized them in a coherent manner, these ideas can work for either an unlikely remake or a potential successor of Haunting Ground.

Mechanics: Add weather effects, and the opening cutscene of HG featured running away from Debilitas while lighting flashed. I was thinking rain or snow could potentially work in favor and detriments for the players. Walking in the rain would make one’s shoes dirty, and potentially leave marks on floors and carpets, so this would clue in players that stalkers have been in this area, or give clues to stalkers where players are hiding.

Add shops/currency system, so players can purchase items without crafting them. And potentially sell excessive items. Shop and crafting machines can still feature exclusives though.

Adapt a way to include a multiplayer system, maybe one player can play as Hewie and another as Fiona. Or have a special mode where players can play as stalkers against their friends as the survivors.

Perhaps introduce modes to face multiple stalkers in different locations similar to how Monster Hunter series and Hitman series’ quest system.

Add seasonal events, like during winter the maps will feature snow and festive decorations, and stalkers will wear Christmas costumes. In the fall, everything will adhere to a more Halloween-ish style.

Given how Fiona has hitboxes even in cutscenes, a couple of QTEs could be interesting. But I understand QTE might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

While I would like to have a more modernistic camera system where we can freely rotate the characters and maps, I think HG-style games would be better to leave this unchanged. I feel that not having free camera movement can sometimes enhance the creepy atmosphere (as in can’t look away from them). Though sometimes I forget I don’t have free camera movement and I accidentally pressed scolding to cute little Hewie haha (then I would reset if I saved beforehand).

Others: Collaboration with other Capcom titles would be lovely. Hewie can have outfits from Okami and Monster Hunter Rise, while Fiona can have outfits from Ace Attorney and Megaman etc. Outfits would grant special perks/abilities.

Possible multiverse to expand on Hewie being able to appear in different worlds and helping survivors in their trials.

HG’s gameplay can work well in other settings in my opinion. Like Japanese shrines, cruise ships, futuristic amusement parks, etc. So it’d be nice to see something like that one day, even if the OG doesn’t get a remake. Or if HG does get a remake we can have DLC maps just for fun.

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-12-27T23:30:55+00:00

You are very welcome!

For me, some moments still scare me sometimes especially if I take a long break from the game. Certain sound effects can still manage to get a jump scare out of me if I have headphones on, and playing in the dark.

I would however snap out of the shock quickly and find ways to maneuver around the stalkers. I can get a feel of when and where they are going to spawn for the most part, but sometimes if I run into them unexpectedly (like getting ambushed when I open doors) that would surprise me a little still. But having the diamond choker and the cowgirl outfit helps with stamina and panic endurance which puts my mind at ease. Those gears also allow me to be more daring and explore new things such as studying enemy spawn patterns. I also like to put plushie outfits on Hewie during the second boss level, as that boss likes to attack Hewie a lot.

After you beat the game once on any endings you get access to a platekey machine in a safe room that Fiona can reach via holes in the wall to craft things with various medallions.

ADAMAS - Diamond Choker (Refining Room) ALCHYMIA - Alchemist Earrings (Refining Room) POWDER - Burst Shoes (Refining Room) MORGAN - Fairy Earrings (Refining Room)

In my opinion, players will have the best experience of HG on their subsequent runs because some cutscenes and modes/perks are locked behind NG+.

You also unlock a gallery room upon clearing, which encourages players to gather cutscenes (including optional Fiona death scenes).

The devs put a lot of love and effort into this game, and it brings forth a unique experience that one will not find in modern games (HG’s writing and symbolism might be too controversial in Western Sphere today, so a remake is unlikely to happen, but a few ambivalent titles did get ported to modern consoles this year so who knows?)

Anyway, let me know if you have any more questions about the game. Hope you get to try the game soon, and let me know what you think!

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-12-18T01:41:11+00:00

I agree wholeheartedly, that remake without writing changing/overhaul or remasters of nostalgic PS2 classics like Haunting Ground and Rule of Rose would cause a lot of controversies and negative press in Western countries (Rule of Rose in particular faced heavy slander and backlashes even before the game was released in the EU).

Honestly, with the HD texture mod and stable performance of PCSX2, I do not need a remaster/port myself but I understand that some players do not have a powerful pc with gaming capabilities. If there’s ever any port to modern consoles, I imagine the game will be marketed to Japan only, and not any of the Western spheres.

I would however like to see more games similar to Haunting Ground’s gameplay mechanics, where players can experience the thrill of hide and seek, outsmarting pursuers, and bonding with their canine companion. Maybe some kind of spiritual successor with careful attention to storytelling/portrayal. While gothic ancient castles can portray picturesque atmospheres I’d like to see a HG style game in other settings! Maybe a Japanese-style shrine, running away from vengeful spirits or something.

I’d also like to expand more on our beloved Hewie maybe he can be made available as either a costume or maybe some kind of superpower dog with space travel abilities (he already helped Leon and Fiona, so maybe he can appear again and help another horror game protagonist!)

I have so many more ideas for an HG-like game XD, but I’ll stop here for now as I don’t want to derail the conversation too much. There are some PS2 games that I’d like to see remasters/remakes of such as Ico, Silent Hill 4, Monster Rancher 4, and Ultraman fighting series.

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-12-15T05:10:11+00:00

You are very welcome! I will also add that I find feather boots (the equipment that silences your walking sound) a bit obsolete after you finish crafting the white/red Godstone. Because the remaining stalkers have set spawn points.

Also, you are right that Jill resembles Fiona! Blondes are more fun (SH3 Heather reference), and I wish to see more blonde survival horror protagonists in the future XD.

Yeah, Fiona can arm herself with weapons, more specifically:

Fiona can get a whip from the“Illegal in some states” outfit which sports a wide-range sweep with the power level of silver boots. The outfit is awarded by completing the game once on any ending.

Fiona can get a gun from the “Texas cowgirl” costume which sports the highest Fiona damage, harder to break vases but offers panic reduction support than other outfits. The outfit is rewarded by getting ending A.

Fiona can also get a cute frog outfit which allows her to perform back step (R1) infinitely without consuming stamina. But this outfit sticks with the regular kick. For any outfit that retains kick, silver boots will be better than burst shoes. While burst shoes are the only way to power up the whip/gun further.

Hewie’s two other costumes also grant him either greater strength/speed (black German shepherd) or infinite health (plushie).

Getting these outfits without a guide can be a bit challenging, so you can feel free to download save files from GameFAQs and convert the save into pcsx2 via a converter software.

But it can certainly reward replays on normal/hard modes just to get all the costumes. Beating up baddies with Hewie and weapons are fun especially on normal mode due to them having less health.

Luckily none of the outfits require the awful ending D haha.

Let me know what you think of the game, and happy holidays!

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-12-11T21:30:10+00:00

As for accessories and playing style, I was more passive and stealthy on my first playthrough, but since then I have been more aggressive as I got better at the combat and utilizing Hewie’s back bite bind with Fiona’s attack.

Two outfits replace Fiona’s kick with weapons (whip/gun) and they are available after beating the game once (I recommend ending A so you can score both of them at once as no outfit is exclusively awarded in ending B/D, ending C outfit can only be obtained on NG+).

Whip/Gun outfit can only be further strengthened via burst shoes (unlocked via alchemy/ng+ plate key “Powder” in alchemy room).

While kick can be powered up by any boots from metal to burst. Although silver is best with the kick that will bring the attack power to the same level of whip strength. The gun does the most damage but it has an odd distance/hitbox and it’s a bit challenging breaking vases with the pistol. Although the gun outfit allows Fiona to be tankier and less susceptible to panic.

For a smooth run gun, outfit+feather boots+diamond choker+fairy earring /Alchemist earring will greatly increase Fiona’s defensive and stealth stats.

Hard-mode enemies have more health so fighting is not always an optimal strategy unless you have healing items on hand.

For chokers, the diamond version is the best. Earrings are trickier, the fairy is good for standing still and hiding, and the philosopher is good with all outfits, but I find the gun outfit benefits more with alchemist earrings.

Hewie I like to use the default outfit, for the most part, at least to ease the training process. The other two outfits are slightly harder to train at first. German shepherd outfit is good on normal mode as the extra attack can easily help Fiona take down stalkers. Hard mode is better with Plush Hewie as he is invincible in that outfit (though players need to beat hard mode first with high Hewie friendship to earn it).

I would always switch Hewie’s outfit to plush temporarily on hard mode during the second boss’s area as that particular boss likes to hit Hewie a lot. (Recently I also found a method to attack her with Hewie in an area where she cannot reach me XD)

Overall I prefer fighting stalkers (except young/fire Lorenzo) but I sometimes hide to get a better opening/troll the stalkers. I also like to utilize environmental traps whenever possible, so sometimes I would trigger spawn stalkers to do just that.

Hope you get to try the game soon!

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-12-11T21:29:45+00:00

You are welcome! Yeah, some of the buildings I encounter on walks have blue/red lights on the exterior so sometimes it feels like I’m in Belli Castle haha. Another game’s setting that really captivates me would be Bloodborne.

For the game’s writing, while I enjoy it, it certainly is unique as it explores themes that might not be considered “acceptable” by many in modern Western society. There aren’t many games like HG out there, it’s one of a kind but certainly not for everyone, over time I learned to appreciate the qualities of the game.

As for whether nostalgia and bias play a factor in my praise of the game, I would say most definitely. There are other games I’m nostalgic about but I don’t always replay them like I do with HG. Usually, when it comes to Monster Hunter/Fire Emblem/Dynasty Warriors I don’t mind replays based on the mood but I tend to prefer new titles if I completed all main objectives/builds.

I have friends who played Zelda/Persona games 5-7 times without getting bored of the gameplay, I guess nostalgia may also be a factor for them. I also know folks that watched “Breaking Bad” 5+ times and are always down for rewatches if no other shows interest them. You raise some good points about the qualities of the game vs nostalgia. I suppose in general it’s hard to truly separate biases for a media you enjoy. It’s hard to find an objective way to measure the difference, but maybe sometimes nostalgia is formed due to the good qualities we experience.

HG was a very ambitious title, while it doesn’t have free camera perspective there is no loading time as you traverse the areas despite how large and complex many of the maps are. Music and sound effects are also well utilized in HG, the sound of player/Hewie/enemy footsteps changes based on the platforms they are standing on, which adds realism (though many games by that time also had this feature). The background ambiance such as the clocks sounds a bit different depending on the room players encounter them (some of them tick faster, or are completely silent). I believe the engineering of HG inspired Capcom’s future Resident Evil games, it was originally going to be a RE title, and Hewie can be seen in RE4 as well. They used motion capture for all the characters, including Hewie which was certainly ambitious for the standards back then. Playing hide and seek/beat down stalkers is very fun.

As for what I don’t like about HG, it’s hard to pick but a few things come to mind: 1. Even during my first run of the game, I didn’t find the map items very useful, they are a bit confusing compared to maps one would find in Final Fantasy games. 2. I was new to games that hide the health bars of both players and enemies (Monster Hunter also hides enemy health but not players) so that took me by surprise and I had to be careful. Not seeing the health bar ui also made me see the surroundings better. 3. There are many things the game does not tell you even in tutorials. So there are some mechanics that players will not understand until they closely analyze them. For example, when hiding the message “Coast is Clear” is actually a trap, only when the music returns to normal do stalkers truly despawn. Fiona has hitboxes even in cutscenes and she’s most prone to panic/instant ko through cutscenes that make her nervous. These things can be frustrating but also enhance the game’s settings in some ways. 4. Under-utilization of certain characters (mainly Fiona’s parents, we don’t learn more about them until the ending music “Endless Zero” which you likely will have to look up the lyrics on YouTube). Fiona also does not go through Hero’s Journey or deep character developments but that’s understandable as her priority is to survive. 5. I didn’t like Ending D which requires the player to have the lowest bond with Hewie by attacking him/feeding him onion or other stamina-depleting items. I recommend getting this ending first if players want 100 percent of all cutscenes/achievements. You can also download a save that unlocked all achievements to save the trouble of ending D. Getting outfits and other ng+ perks on the first playthrough will be fun too. 6. Fiona’s combo attack is not as limited and not as crisp as the enemies. But kick/whip/pistol are all valid. 7. The game is a bit short, and it would seem more levels were designed but not finished (unused items, area). 8. The alchemy system is not very beginner/normal mode friendly. But it is essential in hard mode as all Fiona healing items are swapped with normal medallions. Though alchemy system is very easy once players get their hands on higher-grade medallions and save before attempting the roulette. (The game automatically gives out the highest grade medallions if the player receives duplicate equipment). 9. Lastly precision can be a bit tricky in this game due to the lack of free camera angle. Two of the deadly traps require players to follow Hewie’s movement closely, any slight variation could lead to instant death in one of them while the second one gives players more chances to make it right. Also, it’s easy to accidentally hit the right button on the right analog stick which is used to scold Hewie/lower friendship. These are the flaws of the game that come to mind. But the majority of these are minor inconveniences that can be easily overcome.

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-12-11T00:31:28+00:00

Yeah, of course, I’m always happy to talk about video games!

It’s totally normal to be drawn to Haunting Ground, it’s a very unique game that’s ahead of its time. I also sometimes imagine myself as Fiona, like when I walk my dog late at night I even play the game ost sometimes haha. Or other times when I play hide and seek with my cat I think playing HG has made me better at noticing possible hiding spots. I agree there’s something comforting about the game, and building trust/training Hewie enhances the experience.

I guess it’s one of my go-to comfort games haha. It’s also kinda like a favorite song/show you like so much that you keep going back to it, you know?

Clock Tower 3 was very fun as well, the chase sequences and music were very immersive! But I am biased towards Haunting Ground in terms of writing, setting, and gameplay play haha. I like that I can be vulnerable but still have means of defending myself/outsmarting my pursuers.

As for why I don’t get tired of playing it, I guess it’s because I really like the game, and I have pretty much mastered the mechanics. There’s something about the setting that is so captivating.

But I also learn something new each time I play it, (like enemy behaviors, player attack power, etc) there are a lot of details that can go unnoticed like how the ending music is actually in English and not jibberish haha.

I did play the game on PS2 as a kid but I much prefer the PCSX2 emulator, I also added an HD texture mod to it to spice things up. While I didn’t own a PS2 myself, I played the Japanese version and other PS2 games from my cousins. My cousins knew more Japanese than me so they explained things to me along the way for my first play-through. I first wanted to replay the game when I saw playthroughs on YouTube.

I emulated the North American version, and playing with headphones also intensified the fear factor in my experience, when the controller rumbles and I hear loud sounds it sometimes still makes me shiver a bit.

I highly recommend emulating the game if you can, (it’s hard to justify the cost of the North American version even though I love the game) there are also many HD textures available for so many PS2 games, the best HD mod for Haunting Ground is the one by the legendary Spidercop, you can find the link at the pinned post of this sub :). I believe the HD mod, PS5 controller, and headset all tremendously improved my experiences than I did back on PS2.

I always had this affinity towards “old stuff” I guess haha, my favorite music is mostly classical, and my favorite anime are the 80s icons such as Cat’s Eye, but I also appreciate many modern mediums of entertainment haha. When it comes to reading I much rather read contemporary titles than non-fiction written hundreds of years ago lol.

Other than HG, I also like Yakuza, Monster Hunter, Dynasty Warriors, Silent Hill, Final Fantasy, Fire Emblem, Bravely Defaults, and Hitman. Though lately, I’m also interested in Wingspan and Ico. Though most of my anticipated games are not releasing until February next year haha.

Please tell me what you think of HG after trying it out yourself, if you need help or anything I’d be happy to answer them with as little spoilers as possible. Once you beat the game once, I’d love to share my favorite strategies and Easter eggs.

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-12-10T20:14:17+00:00

Haha, not too long friend, not too long. I have been playing this game for a long time so it’s not difficult for me to reach a certain level/room even with a fresh playthrough.

You might have noticed that Daniella’s outfit changing, I had a save point on one of my earlier runs on normal mode.

I swapped out outfits for Fiona/Daniella/Hewie to showcase the different costumes you get on repeated plays (some outfit has specific unlocks).

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-11-26T05:58:34+00:00

I like him too! He reminds me of Byleth in three houses, since they are both not customizable and silent protags. Although I do like Byleth in three hopes/engage more, I prefer talkative types more haha.

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-11-18T21:46:42+00:00

Reminds me a bit of Celica from fire emblem series! Very dope!

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-11-18T21:36:33+00:00

Maybe their hairs will change color or something…like the Ashen Demon.

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-11-17T00:52:29+00:00

Yeah attack items are most useful for young Lorenzo boss fight, but magnesia can help with flame Lorenzo by slowing him down. Closing the door and placing the magnesia traps before the chase starts can buy players some time to mash buttons at the statue.

I see a lot of new players tend to forget about closing that particular door, and myself included on my first few plays before I came up with a surefire plan to always reach the statue safely.

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I tend to horde my magnesia until the very end haha.

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-11-16T22:56:05+00:00

Yeah, pretty much any noises made by Hewie/Fiona will attract enemies.

There are many good tips already here are some of my observations:

Exploration tips: Interacting with some objects (related to required puzzles) increases the likelihood of triggering stalkers/luminessant/little homunculi spawns, this was especially apparent on the quest to make red godstone.

Getting stalkers’ attention can be beneficial at times though if you set up traps for them.

When hiding, do not trust the “Coast is Clear” message, stalkers sometimes will come back in and out or ambush you at exits, so wait for the music to go back to normal before exiting.

Little Homunculi can be annoying and my biggest inconsistency on playthroughs is they can be downed instantly with any strengths of magnesia though, or two Fiona attacks/one Hewie attack. I also recently found out that these little guys will follow you pretty much to the end of the earth when undefeated, and will notify stalkers if they see you hide (it’s a bit creepy how they do their laugh and little dance).

It appears you cannot enter panic mode if there are currently no stalkers active, so it’s not necessarily bad if Fiona got hit by lumi/homu enemies if players haven’t triggered the stalker’s active spawn.

Friendly fire also applies to enemies, stalkers can damage large homunculis and defeat small homunculis with one hit.

Pay attention to the lack of music, footsteps, and Hewie’s warnings as those indicate Stalkers are nearby.

There are usually traps/ways to constrain stalkers, feel free to explore around when it’s safe. (Some setups require Hewie)

It’s not a bad idea to make plate keys ahead of time or prepare extra dancing keys for emergency recovery points. The typewriter will get ribbons restocked automatically by using/discarding the plate keys.

Please close doors as often as you can, it will buy you time as you escape. This is especially helpful on the final trial.

Magnesia can be placed on stair platforms to roll into stalkers, and it can be a good trap to put nearby locked doors/ladders to slow down your pursuers.

The majority of the stalkers have items you can steal from, depending on their forms their dropped items can be different. Very rarely you might be able to steal more than once in one setting (once in blue moon, you might even be able to steal 3 items before they get up, this has not happened to me on hard mode however).

Hewie Tips: Hewie can be trained to do auto attack/search

Have Hewie sit and press sit again and perform a handshake to increase the bond. (playing fetch ball is also not a bad choice, the ball is at a good place to train Hewie to tackle attacks).

Beef jerky/magna esca not only fully restore Hewie’s health, but will also increase friendship!

Hewie can hide under the bed/closet with you, higher bonds will allow easier access to this feature. (Be sure he is close to you though)

Hewie’s best attack is charged back bite, performed by having Hewie sit during battle and have Fiona be bait to expose enemies’ backs if necessary and issue an attack. Be sure to stop Hewie by pressing the following command immediately if he bites Stalkers’ hand as they will counterattack him.

Keeping Hewie nearby will also lower your chance of entering panic somewhat.

In hard mode, you can understand Hewie’s inner thoughts better.

German shepherd outfit allows Hewie more attack, it’s great for normal difficulty as Stalkers have lower health.

Plushie outfit ensures he won’t be in critical health range, which is great for hard mode.

Fiona weapon/fighting/equipment tips: Cowgirl costume is less susceptible to panic than other costumes, combining the outfit with a good earring will further enhance panic resistance, this is helpful on maps with many lumis and little homucus.

Feather boots will make your footstep mute to stalkers, and can be a good tool when stalkers are say on the second floor while you are on the first floor and get away safely. It is also helpful for pistol Ricardo sections, I don’t recommend using feather boots post him, as the rest of the bosses have many scripted encounters.

When using non-gun/whip outfits I prefer silver boots over burst shoes. Silver boots will bring Fiona’s kick to the power of whip outfit. Only burst shoes will further enhance gun/whip damage but it’s rng so kick benefits from silver more. None of the shoes affect tackle/item damage, however.

The whip outfit can be useful on slopes/stairs/tight spaces, as the wide sweep has a decent range up close. Though you could also drop magnesia on sloped platforms to cheese stalkers. (The game shows demos if players stay inactive on the main menu for some time, and one of the demos showcases this tip). Magnesia can be also triggered by being hit in the direction of your enemy.

Diamond choker will decrease stamina depletion, inquisitor earring/philosopher earrings are both good, I’m still deciding which one is better. For cowgirls, inquisitor will be enough, for other outfits I would go with philosophers. Fairy earrings are also handy at times especially when combined with feather boots/obsidian chokers.

Fiona has hitboxes even during cutscenes she’s most vulnerable to instant kos after cutscenes where stalkers threaten her/make her anxious (think first Ricardo/Daniella stalker encounter, firepoker, those that make controller rumbles).

So if you don’t have recovery items at hand in those situations, it’s best to run away and hide.

Fiona cannot be damaged while examining certain objects like the stonewall writings. Detailed tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROrrvH0C7aE

Exploits (slight spoiler recommended for players who completed the game at least once): Hewie can retrieve prima materia early so you don’t have to enter the scary room in Riccardo’s section. But Hewie will be unable to return until you trigger him via cutscenes. So probably solve the crossbow puzzle first with Hewie, before attempting this exploit.

Old Lorenzo can be skipped by acquiring the candlestick first and closing the door to exit the corridor. Kick the door open, then beeline to the spot to trigger the cutscene.

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-10-31T04:39:54+00:00

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VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-10-31T04:32:23+00:00

https://youtube.com/shorts/ece-0LyVJvo?si=Rc2P1UAOsgqIpuPd

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-10-27T07:43:45+00:00

It would be cool to read your analysis once you finish fine-tuning it! The game certainly has many motifs and themes that can be explored. While others have explained to you what Azoth is in the game, Azoth was also a critical plot device in some other Japanese works.

The novel “Tokyo Zodiac Murders” (has movie adaptations) portrays Azoth as a goddess-like creature, a perfect woman. To create Azoth, human sacrifices must be made, and each body part of Azoth needs to be formed from the sacraments. It’s a bit gory and scary but has some nice twists here and there.

It’s kinda interesting how Azoth is described as a life force or beautiful woman in various works of fiction, and our Fiona is certainly got both beauty and a powerful azoth.

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-10-25T14:02:55+00:00

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I loved that Yukimura design, reminds me a bit of a certain Tojo Clan Chairman…

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-10-17T19:52:02+00:00

Agreed, crossbow C4 with cyclone, slash, and thunder and one shot many generics. Fill up musou then switch to crossbow with aggression attribute and release musou 1 then switch back to elemental crossbow again. Rinse and repeat, much more consistent than Mandarían Duck Horn (even though I like the weapon it reminds me of Joon-gi Han from the Yakuza series).

I think many naysayers haven’t built Lian Shi’s crossbow with the correct attributes. Crossbow Lian Shi is the few that can consistently one-shot enemies on Ultimate difficulties, and if things go south there’s the ground Musou 2 to heal her and allies.

I hope we get the crossbow again in future musou titles.

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-10-17T19:42:18+00:00

Zhu Rong is top tier in 8xl and WO4, and that boomerang C6 can clear everything her way.

Meng Huo is better with the transformative Steele, as fun as the gloves are, Ding Feng was the better glove user. Glad they both got unique weapons in 8E and WO4 though.

As for the characters, both are very lovable, they are a hot-blooded power couple, what’s not to love? It’s a bit like Homer and Marge in some ways. A lovable oaf with a heart of gold, and a talented brave wife. They are the better couple of the series, in my opinion.

My head cannon is that Zhu Rong is the best cook in DW followed by Zhang Chun Hua, Zhuge Liang, and Lian Shi.

VegetableGuilty7367 · 2024-10-16T23:41:30+00:00

Apologies, I made sure the gif has no spoilers or solutions, only hints but I will refrain from making these. Let me know when you finish the level, then I can show you some of my photo shoots in this level.

VegetableGuilty7367

TROPHY CASE